The Rainforests of Cameroon - PROFOR

Ten Years of Forest Sector Reform 117prevailing in Cameroon. It was understood that policies and regulationswere more likely to endure if they were simple and easy to control. Thebest means of strengthening public sector accountability currently consistof practical measures, such as simplified regulatory frameworks, limitedentry points for harassment, and improved public information.Strengthen Capacity in Forest InstitutionsAs mentioned in chapter 1, forest institutions are poised to recover fromdecades of attrition that left them ill prepared to implement new forestpolicies and regulations. Continued attention to capacity in these institutionsat all levels is important. It is essential to ensure that the opportunityprovided by high staff turnover at the Ministry of Forests in thenext few years is not squandered. New staff must be selected carefullyand must have the capacity—in training, credentials, funds, and equipment—tomaintain an effective field presence and perform the more difficultregulatory and supervisory functions envisaged by the reform. Poormanagement and failure to secure adequate salaries and complementaryfunds will render the next generation of forestry officials susceptible tothe corrupt practices of many of their predecessors.Expand the Community Forestry FrameworkThe fundamental ingredients for successful community forestry includecohesive communities (which are not always present); a framework thatcompares well with alternatives (that is, communities achieve benefitsthat cannot be achieved outside the community forestry framework);a relatively reassuring environment where communities are fairly anddemocratically run; and public institutions that take all parties’ rights andobligations seriously rather than furthering the interests only of administratorsand local elites.The community forestry framework should be expanded beyondthe boundaries of conventional community forests to support forestbased,income-generating activities in the broader forest and rural space.Extended areas defined through participatory mapping would create amosaic of community fields, fallows, and concessions where different privateand community uses would coexist based on negotiated agreements.Delivered by The World Bank e-library to:The World BankDetect Problems Early and SupportIP : 192.86.100.34Regulationwith Institutional Innovation Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:06:18Reforms embody change that occurs in the midst of change. In combination,reforms can have unexpected and undesirable effects. They can(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank